At 43 that is a bummer. My problem started at 60. My doctor advised Glucosamine Chondroitin tablets with MSM. I take two a day and after a while it has helped. I also wear tight bicycle gloves for shooting as they help support my hands.

I am a Chiropractor in the Birmingham Alabama area.. I have several of my patients taking Detoxamin Chelation.. Several of them have found improvement with RA (arthritis)problems... The web site for this product is www.edtachelatioinsuppositories.com ... I and my family have used this product and have had excellent results..I have used Chleation to clean out my vascular system ,but Chleation cleans out joint deposits of CA+ also. Chleatioin can be also taken by IV or oral..
Good luck
Dr. Charles Chrencik

I am a Chiropractor in the Birmingham Alabama area.. I have several of my patients taking Detoxamin Chelation.. Several of them have found improvement with RA (arthritis)problems... The web site for this product is www.edtachelatioinsuppositories.com ... I and my family have used this product and have had excellent results..I have used Chleation to clean out my vascular system ,but Chleation cleans out joint deposits of CA+ also. Chleatioin can be also taken by IV or oral..
Good luck
Dr. Charles Chrencik

If not for Glucosamine Chondroitin/MSM and Naproxin, I would've practically quit shooting because of calcium buildup in my neck verts. Two rounds was all I was good for prior to taking those. After two rounds, the pain set in in earnest and stayed. A time or two I've had my gun fall from my right hand and didn't know it was gone till it hit the ground! Taking these has helped a lot but it's a temporary thing, later on I'll have to have it jack-hammered out to get any long term relief. Talk about raising the head away from recoil and that move makes it even worse!! Hap

The glucosamine and chondroitin never worked for me; tried 3 times and for months each time. Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) was remarkable for many years but I had to back off that when I started having problems stopping bleeding with a cut and bruises - this was after probably 8 years of Aleve twice a day. And it, like other NSAIDS, now will have warnings of increased concern for strokes and heart problems. I now just live with those aches but I have nothing like the deformed hands you describe. My complaints are feet - 80% solved with appropriate footwear, wrist, neck, shoulder - old injuries and it won't go away but an ace wrap is worn when loading, lifting, and shooting, and other stuff too minor to worry....Bob Dodd

Tron: Get the new DR. and now.....go to a rheumatologist, not just a GP (if GP's even still exist). Consider some high powered drugs, if not for the long term, at least for a while. You may have to pass on that after shooting adult beverage, but I went on some way heavy powered drugs for my Psoriatic Arthritis (PA as opposed to RA) and it knocked it down to the place where Glucosamine, vitamin E, etc. are doing fine for now. I was bad enough that holding a fishing rod or golf club would have been impossible (at 50 yrs old). Get in now, it only gets worse. Gotta be able to keep shootin and fishin......
Dennis

I would like to add my recommendation of supplementing with Omega 3.
You can get it from fish, flax seed oil, fish oil capsules ect.
It will do a lot of good things for your body.
Lot of studies indicating its value out there.

I have used Glucosamine/Chondreitin and MSN for past several years. Have helped emensely. Thought I might have to stop shooting with pain in hands, Elbows, Knees etc. But all aches have subsided. Do not use any form of pain medication. Age 72. - Jim Elliott

Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) is one step up on the NSAID ladder from Ibuprofen (Advil). The higher you go on the NSAID ladder, the harder the med's are on your liver and some of them are hard on both liver and your kidneys. Switch over to the COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex for example), now you're looking at liver, kidney and heart issues.

You take more Advil (measured in mgs) per a 24 hour period of time than you do the Aleve. Both can be hard on the liver and you should always have something in your stomach before taking any of these medications. They can really do a number if you have a sensitive stomach. Also, for those of you who take these med's on a regular basis and alot during the day, it can show up as ulcers during a colonoscopy, which will really thrill your GI (doctor) and could have you diagnosed with a disease you don't really have.

By the way, Tylenol is NOT an anti-inflammatory, it is a pain reliever. You will have less relief from inflammation with Tylenol and it is significantly harder on your liver.

The best way to find the treatment that works for you and whatever type of arthritis you might have is to see a rheumatologist. With thorough blood work and xrays, a correct diagnosis and corresponding treatment is the best route. There is NO CURE for arthritis (any of them), but there are ways to retard it's progress and help you enjoy a good life with less pain and inflammation. I'm on medications that would curl your eyelashes, but I can do all of the things I love to do because of them and because I take care of myself thru diet and exercise. I have RA & OA in my hands & AS (hips/pelvis, heels & neck) by the way.

I'm am very familiar with arthritis,my doc told me to stay away from Advil. I was eating them like popcorn and thankfully my kidneys and liver are ok. Joe get a new doc. You know my prognosis and the way my hands looks at the tender age of 46. The pain killers I'm on may be too strong for you or may be just right, only your doctor will know. Blood test is the first thing to do and go from there. I'm back on the morphine patch and for pain spikes a Norco kicker, so far my body still aches. We may need to up the dosage but I won't see my doc until next month.Have your doc get xrays, it's the only way to see if you have any cartilage left to work with. I was told I'm stage 3 collapse in both knees and hands are on the back burner at this point. I did get a wrist wrap you have for my left wrist. Thanks for the advice.

starshot2b, I had laminoplasty with instrumentation from c4-c7 and am now completely fused down to t-1. I have sever spinal stenosis and have already had both hips replaced due to aseptic necrosis. Ankles are getting stiffer and as of yet I don't know if they have replacements for them yet.

starshot2b, not sure what they are.... I also have another issue and that is I have nerve damage from the media nerve coming out of c-7. My left hand is numb and have a burning sensation from the forearm up to my shoulder.

Wow -- that's some combination of damage there, for someone so young. I'm sorry you have such problems, and I certainly understand the pain med's you're taking. I was making a suggestion about the tnf-inhibitors since it sounded like a pretty virulent form of arthritis, my apologies if I overstepped.